"Summer Fun Memories - Blog Life "

WEEK 11

It's summer time!

The Kids are out of school, traffic is less congested in mornings and afternoons, and no homework (for the kids and parents).

The Original Karate Kids.
Marsha, James, Kelly, and Chris.
Early 1980's.

For most kids the summers are made for fun and relaxation. Stay up past their normal bed times, sleep late, and then enjoy the day.

What could be better than to be be young again with no worries or thoughts about tomorrow and the future.

Me  around 5 or 6 years old. 
Enjoying some summer time fun with a giant gas funnel as a hat.
No YOUTUBE so we only had our IMAGINATION to play with back then.
Circa 1976-77

When I was growing up, my dad was a school teacher and he got the summers off along with all the kids. As a side job in the summer, he worked as the caretaker/director/maintenance man/supervisor for the Cameron Recreation Center Pool.

Every summer while I was growing up was spent swimming at the Cameron recreation center pool behind Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. 

Me and my brother Josh at the Cameron Recreation Pool.
Probably the summer of 1983.

Each day we would ride to Cameron with our dad. We would usually spend the entire day at the pool. By entire day I mean from  9 am until 8:30 pm. Every day.

I loved the old Cameron recreation center.

There was a swimming pool, playground, ball fields and tennis courts.

Tennis Crew

Just about every kid in and around the town of Cameron went to the swimming pool. Either for the morning swim session or the afternoon session.

We always had enough people to play softball games or had someone to play tennis with. There were usually enough people to play some doubles in tennis. 

This was all before the invention of home VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. We had video games but they were only the arcade editions that you played at businesses and they cost money... Lots and lots of QUARTERS....

We would walk down the street to the Sweet Shoppe for a double cone of ice cream, and then walk over to Val's Video to see what the new releases he had on VHS. Val's Video was the original BLOCKBUSTER and REDBOX.

As I reflect on those long, hot, summer days at the old pool, I remember all the good times I had and all the people I had them with.

Me and my brother James. Enjoying our rectangle trampoline.

Keith "Fat Cat" Portie enjoy the summer on Holly Beach, Louisiana.

I know we can't go back in time, but for just one brief moment I would love to go back for 5 minutes and get a dose of that "Pac-Man Fever" while listening to the Michael Jackson song "Beat It" on my state of the art Sony Walkman cassette player....

The Daigle Family - Laura, Willie, James, and Josh
Circa 1988

Until next time.

More Tales from the Unemployment Line.

"America Dream 2.0" by Justin Martindale